General (Ret.) Jack Keane, former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army

Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) on the hearing: “The President’s narrative fails to reflect the reality that al Qaeda is not on the run, but is in fact growing in strength at an alarming rate across the Middle East and Northern Africa. As of last week, major fighting in both Ramadi and Fallujah saw al Qaeda-linked groups gain territory in cities where U.S. soldiers recently suppressed violent insurgents. The civil war in Syria is attracting jihadists and the fighting is spilling over into neighboring countries while extremism engulfs entire regions in Libya and Somalia.

“We must take an honest look at the danger to the homeland from the spread of extremism. Continuing to downplay the terrorist threat endangers our ability to defeat it, and this hearing will examine the consequences of the Administration’s counterterrorism rhetoric.”